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In Google's fifth release of the product reviews update, Google added that linking to multiple sellers is part of the overall algorithm. Alan Kent from Google said yesterday on Twitter that when all else is equal, "linking to multiple providers might get a small boost."
Reminder, Google wrote on this product reviews update, "include links to multiple sellers to give the reader the option to purchase from their merchant of choice."
Lily Ray, an SEO, asked Alan Kent, a Googler, "Given that Google recommends linking to multiple sellers, what does this mean for informational affiliate sites that only link back to one company (e.g. travel affiliate programs)?"
Alan Kent from Google replied, "Yes. If there were two great sites with similarly great content, the one with reviews linking to multiple providers might get a small boost. But more often is the content quality will be different and dominate."
Here are those tweets:
Yes. If there were two great sites with similarly great content, the one with reviews linking to multiple providers might get a small boost. But more often is the content quality will be different and dominate.
— Alan Kent (@akent99) January 10, 2023
Glenn Gabe noted that last March Alan said this was not the case, by the way:
Hi Alan. In March you explained that linking to multiple sellers wasn't part of the system yet (it wasn't supported from what you said). I'm assuming that's changed based on what you just explained. Is that right? Here's our exchange from March: https://t.co/UHQPjaM5cf
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) January 10, 2023
Update: See:
The published recommendations for reviewers to follow have not changed. We generally don't publish exact ranking signals (or their weights). We try to provide guidance that makes sense to people who want to create great content (and we want to promote great content).
— Alan Kent (@akent99) July 27, 2022
But again, when is it ever that all things are equal? It sounds to me that this linking to multiple sellers aspect is a tiny factor in this overall product reviews algorithm.
Forum discussion at Twitter.
Update: Google's Alan Kent responded:
If we ran an experiment, would that count as "might"? If something is so small its practically unmeasurable, is that the same as zero? If people trust a site more, will that indirectly cause more traffic? (It must be a slow week in SEO if this one is a topic worth discussing! 😅) pic.twitter.com/geMm36x1x0
— Alan Kent (@akent99) January 11, 2023
"Sort of like Core Web Vitals for PRU. :)". You might not yet understand how small a number can get. (And I should get back to productive work!) pic.twitter.com/4Mafv5y8vf
— Alan Kent (@akent99) January 11, 2023
